


Kitty

by AceOnIce



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Just Add Kittens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27440497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceOnIce/pseuds/AceOnIce
Summary: Magnus brings home a surprise that everyone loves (even if Alec is slow to admit it).
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 34
Kudos: 148





	Kitty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SomeSleepySloth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeSleepySloth/gifts).



> For SomeSleepySloth's birthday.  
> Set after Magnus and Alec adopt Max, but before they adopt Rafael. Book or show verse works (but Ragnor is alive so).  
> Enjoy!

Alec has grown familiar with the half guilty, half pleading expression Magnus is currently wearing. It’s the look Magnus gives him when he admits that he wants to stay in and watch a movie rather than portaling to Europe for a fancy dinner- something Alec never complains about.

But they have no plans tonight which means Magnus is guilty/hopeful about something else. He’s standing in the doorway in a raincoat, already magicked dry, holding a cardboard box, the top open, little shuffling sounds coming from inside. 

Alec raises an eyebrow, mentally preparing for anything from ‘ _I found a baby ravener demon’ to ‘I ordered us a new sex toy’_. “What’s in the box?”

“Alexander,” Magnus says, voice sweet like honey as he toes off his shoes. “You know I love you right? With my heart and soul? You matter more to me than anyone in the world, save for our perfect son of course.”

Alec huffs, annoyed at the way his insides warm even though he knows this is just Magnus trying to butter him up. He pushes off the couch, intending to peek inside the box and find out just how firm a stance he needs to take on this, when a soft _meow_ drifts out. Alec is relieved, but he levels Magnus with a look. 

“You found a cat?”

Magnus puts on his most charming, most innocent smile. “You know I love cats and I couldn’t just leave them there.”

 _Them?_ “ Magnus,” Alec starts, already hesitant to ask. “How many cats are in the box?”

Magnus bites his lip, peering into the box. His face is soft, hopeful, loving. Alec doesn’t want to be the one to crush that. He also doesn’t want to be tripping over an unspecified number of cats all day because Magnus has the biggest heart of anyone he knows. Realizing that Magnus isn’t going to answer his question, he steps closer to look into the box himself and has to bite back a coo. 

Four tuxedo kittens are cuddled together inside the box, sleeping on each other, all smaller than Alec’s hand. A fifth one is sniffing curiously at the edge of the cardboard box. 

Alec is reaching in to gently lift it from the box before he can stop himself. The kitten nuzzles into his hand, loud purrs making it’s body vibrate as it nibbles at Alec’s thumb. He raises it to eye level, taking in the patches of white and black fur, the one white ear, the little nose. It’s adorable. 

“We can’t keep them,” Alec says, trying to push down his own surge of unexpected disappointment. One of them has to be realistic here and it certainly isn’t going to be Magnus. 

“I know,” Magnus sighs, sounding forlorn, setting the box against one of the living room walls before conjuring a bowl of water and one of cat food and setting them inside the box. The kitten in Alec’s hand takes note and meows in complaint until Alec lowers it back down to join it’s siblings. “I’ll find them homes, I just couldn’t leave them on the street.”

Magnus is watching the kittens with a sad look in his eyes that Alec knows goes beyond this singular event. Of course it does. How could it not when Magnus had been abandoned? When they only had Max because he’d been abandoned? When almost every warlock Magnus knew had been cast out by their mundane mothers. 

Alec steps closer to his husband, tugging Magnus into a warm hug, pressing a kiss to the shaved part of Magnus’ head. “I love you.”

Magnus holds him back, nuzzling into Alec’s shoulder.

Alec lets them enjoy it for a minute, simply soaking in each other’s company, before he sighs, “They’ll need to be gone before Max wakes up tomorrow.” If the two year old sees the kittens, Alec is certain all hell will break loose. 

Magnus hums in agreement, kissing Alec softly. “I’ll find someone to watch them in the morning.”

Alec watches the kittens for another moment, trying hard not to get attached, knowing they’ll be gone when he wakes up, or shortly after. He distracts himself from the thought by nuzzling into his husband. He has a wonderful family, he reminds himself, and they’ll surely find good homes for the kittens. 

Before they go to sleep that night, Alec performs his usual rounds of checking the locks and turning off the lights and checking in on Max. He finds the toddler fast asleep in his little bed, the nightlight casting stars onto the ceiling above him. Alec smiles at the sight before stepping back, leaving the door slightly open in case of nightmares, before joining Magnus in bed. He falls asleep wrapped warm and comfortable in his husband’s arms. 

The next morning dawns bright and early and without any complications. Alec is awake before everyone else to get ready to head for the Institute. He slips out of bed without waking Magnus, dresses quietly, and makes his way to the kitchen to start the coffee brewing. 

He pauses in the living room to check on the kittens, finding two of them playing with small toys Magnus had summoned, the other two cuddling in the corner and the fifth- the fifth one is missing. It’s the one Alec had picked up the day before with the white ear. Definitely the most mischievous of the litter. 

Alec scans the living room for any sign of movement and when he comes up empty, he fast tracks back to his bedroom to shake Magnus awake. 

Magnus grumbles about it, cracking his eyes open to glare. “It’s too early for this.”

“One of the kittens is missing,” Alec hisses, scanning their bedroom. There’s a million places in the loft where the kitten could be hiding. “It must have climbed out of the box.”

Magnus’ eyes go wide and he’s suddenly much more alert. He throws his legs out of the bed, pulling on a red robe and looking around the room. He comes up with nothing and magic fizzles around his hands, a tracking spell. 

Alec follows Magnus and the trail of blue magic out of their room, down the hall- straight to Max’s door, still cracked open. Alec and Magnus exchange a look before Alec pushes the door open, hoping their son is still asleep. 

He is. 

The Chairman is curled up on his feet, his chubby little hands are folded under his face- and a kitten is sleeping on his chest, uncaring of the tracking spell leading straight to it. It’s precious and Alec can’t keep from smiling softly at the sight. He’s loath to disrupt any of them.

He tears his eyes away from the scene and finds Magnus with a sweet smile on his face, his eyes having practically turned to hearts. Alec sighs, but he’s still smiling. “We’re keeping that one, aren’t we?”

Magnus turns to him with excitement woven into his features. “Are we?”

“Yeah,” Alec concedes easily. How could he say no? “But the others have to go, now.” If the box of kittens stays any longer, he knows they’ll end up adopting all five and they don’t have the time or space for that many kittens. Not to mention, it would upset the Chairman.

Thankfully Magnus nods in agreement. “Go get ready for patrol, I’ll deal with the kittens.”

Magnus sends the kittens to Ragnor until they find a home for them before Alec leaves for the Institute. He tugs Magnus in for a goodbye kiss, making him promise to photograph Max’s reaction to their new kitten, before leaving. He already can’t wait to return home.

The moment Alec steps back into the loft, he’s being greeted by a pair of little arms wrapping around his legs, Max’s face beaming up at him. “Daddy!”

“Hey Blueberry,” Alec lifts the little warlock into his arms.

“Kitty!”

“Did you meet the new kitty?” Alec asks, grinning at the excitement on Max’s face. 

Max nods, magic sparking excitedly at his fingertips. He can’t control it, but it rarely does more than cause an innocent little light show. “New kitty!”

“Where is the kitty?” Alec ventures into the loft. The air is sweet and smells of cookies. “Is papa baking?”

“Kikoki-” Max responds. Alec pretends to know what that means. He’s gotten pretty good at understanding the two year old’s speech, but occasionally he’s left stumped. He follows the smell into the kitchen and finds Magnus bent over the counter, a frosting bag in hand, putting delicate icing details onto cat-shaped cookies. Some of them are full cats, some just the face, and almost all perfectly decorated. A few are smeared with uneven frosting that Alec suspects is Max’s work. 

“Hey,” Alec breathes, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ cheek, making the warlock smile up at him. 

“Cookie?” Magnus asks, gesturing to the array. 

Alec nods, setting down an excited Max. He takes one of the cat face cookies, decorated to look like their new cat, including the white ear and blue eyes. He almost feels bad biting into it. 

“Where’s the new cat?”

“Ah, you mean Kitty,” Magnus says, setting down the frosting bag. “I’m sure Max is getting him.”

Alec shakes his head. “Please tell me you didn’t let our toddler name the poor thing _Kitty._ ”

“He insisted, Alexander, you try saying no to that face.”

Alec rolls his eyes and turns when he hears a squeal. It’s followed by Max stumbling into the kitchen with the kitten- who Alec refuses to call _Kitty-_ held carefully in his hands. “Daddy, kitty!”

“Remember what I told you, Max?” Magnus reprimands, squatting down to ruffle Max’s hair. “What do you say?”

Max grins up at Alec. “Thank you!”

“Why are you thanking me, Papa made the cookies,” Alec says, joining them on the kitchen floor, reaching out to scratch at the kitten’s ear. It’s purring loudly. 

“For Kitty!” Max answers, pressing a loud kiss with a _smooch_ sound effect to the kitten’s head. “Like Kitty.”

A smile stretches across Alec’s face. “I’m glad you like the kitty. How about we name it something cool? What about Shiro, like Shiro in the show you like?”

Max shakes his head adamantly. “Kitty.”

“You really want to name it Kitty don’t you?” Alec asks, already resigned to this fate. Two-year-olds, his in particular, are a force to be reckoned with. 

“Kitty!” Max says happily, setting the kitten down when it begins to fidget in his arms. Having the Chairman in his life had taught Max that cats aren’t toys fairly quickly. Alec is proud of how good he treats the cats and he’s thrilled that the kitten seems to be fairly patient with Max. 

“Accept it darling,” Magnus says as he stands up, brushing a hand through Alec’s hair. “Chairman Meow has a little brother, Kitty.”

Alec isn’t sure if knowing the kitten is a boy helps or makes the name worse. Then again, he thinks, Magnus’ other cat’s name is a pun. This is pretty in line for them. Alec stands as well. “We’re getting a dog next and I’m naming it.”

“Sure, sure,” Magnus says, placating. “Should we order Chinese for dinner?”

A couple hours later, Alec finds himself in a crowded bed. Magnus is on his right side, head resting on his arm. Max lies on his left, tucked into his side. The Chairman lays at the end of the bed, carefully not touching any of them while Kitty sleeps on Alec’s stomach, one of Max’s tiny hands resting in his fur. Alec is completely content, filled with love for his little family and their newest, littlest, addition. 

**Author's Note:**

> Jace adopts a kitten for the Institute. Raphael adopts a kitten for the Hotel Du Mort. Cat adopts a kitten when Madzie promises to care for it. Ragnor adopts the last kitten.


End file.
